The special move of the elephant's legs: chopsticks between legs and riding the Ferris wheel

A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that allowing television into the bedroom increases the risk of obesity in children. Nowadays, children’s daily leisure activities are mostly static activities such as playing computer and watching TV, and the amount of activity has been greatly reduced. In addition, when children engage in these activities, they often consume high-calorie foods such as snacks and drinks. Over time, this causes children to lack exercise and their weight to gradually soar, with most of them suffering from obesity in the lower body. (Video/Photographer Yang Bokang)

Huang Zhihua, a physical fitness teacher who serves as a fitness coach for celebrity babies, has designed a set of game-based exercises to address the lack of exercise among modern children. He encourages parents to take their children away from television and computers, and to exercise through games to avoid obesity. There are two sets of exercises designed to target the common problem of lower body obesity among children.

【Skinny elephant legs】

★ The first step: step on the Ferris wheel

1. Sit on the floor or bed with your arms stretched out behind you for support.

2. Use your abdominal strength to lift your feet.

3. Lift your legs up again and raise them as if you are riding a bicycle.

Note: For this movement, you must make sure to support yourself with your hands and use your abdominal strength to lift your legs. When doing the pedaling movement, you can control the speed and size of the pedaling according to your personal physical strength.

★ Second move: Open and close the chopsticks between your legs

1. First, lie on your side on the bed or floor.

2. Raise your upper body and place your hands on the floor for support.

3. Lift the foot that is not on the floor upwards, trying to raise it to a 45-degree angle.

4. Repeat the above steps alternately on both sides.

Note: When doing this exercise, the range of raising your feet can be adjusted according to personal circumstances, but the fixed posture should be maintained for 3-5 seconds to help stretch the foot muscles.

【Five key points to note when exercising with children】

1. Warm up before exercising to avoid muscle strain.

2. Do not engage in physical exercise within 1 hour after a meal.

3. Parents should learn with their children as much as possible to increase their willingness to exercise.

4. Children with heart disease, asthma and other conditions should seek the consent of their doctor before engaging in this exercise.

5. In order to strengthen children’s willingness, parents should urge them with encouragement and avoid beating, scolding or criticizing them.

【Coach’s Tips】:

Fitness coach Chen Ling said that riding the Ferris wheel can help exercise the quadriceps and the muscles on the back of the thigh; opening and closing the legs like chopsticks can help exercise the lateral thigh muscles and gluteus medius, making the thighs firm. The above movements are very effective for sculpting leg lines. Parents and children can try them at home.

In addition, these two exercises can be performed 2-3 times a day to prevent children from excessive exercise, causing muscle soreness and losing interest in exercise.

★( http://www.top1health.com/Article/46/14788)